Braids of a Feather II
by AlantisB
Summary: Sequal of Braids of a Feather: When friends try to rescue Duo Maxwell, they find out that w/o his precious braid-he'll never be the same again! But what if they could bring back his braid if they find the legendary Dragon Whisker Soup? And so, the adventu
1. The Review

Braids of a Feather II ****

Braids of a Feather II

By AlantisB

Disclaimer: ::falls on knees and cries:: Don't lock me up! I swear I don't own them! Don't kill me please! 

A/N: Whew. Man I feel refreshed after my vacation. I have plenty of ideas for this now and I feel as if I almost have a grasp of the book now! -.- This strangely feels just like when I started Book One. Only vague ideas. I think this book will be much longer then the last, although I can't be sure. I'm sorry for the long wait! I would have had this out as soon as I got back but Fanfiction.net wasn't cooperating. ::glares::

But thats okay! I hope you all enjoy this. I'm sorry if this Prologue seems to have so many scenes. I just need to skip around a bit to review for all you people that waited so long. For you new comers..HIYA! ^.^

Okay I'm done babbling. Enjoy!

"..talking.."

'..thinking..'

OoOoOoOoOoOo Scene change

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Ranma grumbled as she shifted the heavy (as in, about two tons) backpack that she was carrying. She was soaking wet and she had started to get seriously annoyed at being in a warm climate then suddenly in the snow and then in a monsoon. She knew Ryoga got lost but damn, this was pushing her to her limits. Just where the hell were they anyway?!

"WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?!" Screamed the eternal Lost boy that was, unfortunately, next to her ear and he was the only one with an umbrella and wouldn't even share it. 

'Damn him to hell,' Ranma thought as she stuck her finger in that ear that the pig boy had yelled in, trying to get it to stop ringing. "Did you happen to forget I'm right next to you P-chan? Has your brain gotten lost along with us?" She said dryly as she glared at the Lost boy. 

Ryoga blushed and scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. Ranma rolled her eyes and prayed to whatever god that would listen to just get them to the base where Duo was at without her killing pig boy on the way. She needed her sanity to fight, after all. Then after the fight she would kill him!

She sighed heavily when she noticed that sand was around them for as far as the eye can see. She could tell that this was going to be a long, long trip as she watched Ryoga going around in circles. Maybe she should asked for directions back in Antarctica. Those Eskimos looked like they would have helped them.

What did she ever do to the gods to deserve this? Ranma sighed, she can tell it was going to be one of those days.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Nabiki yawned as she woke up. She tried to roll over to get the sun out of her eyes but then the birds started to sing. She groaned and sighed as she sat up. She glared at the birds and with her sleep-hazed mind thought maybe she could through her shoe at them. But that took too much effort in the morning. She glanced at the clock.

7:45AM

Suddenly her eyes widened and grabbed the clock off her dresser. "Oh my god!" she cried as she sprinted out of bed and threw her clock onto the pillow as she hurried and got dressed. "Where the hell is Saotome? With him and his father fighting I should have been up at six am!"

The door suddenly busted open as her father came wailing in the room in the typical Niagara Falls fashion. "WAAAAAAAAAA! THE SCHOOLS WILL NEVER BE JOINED! RANMA RAN AWAY FROM HOME! WAAAAAAAA!" Cried the Tendo monarch as he hugged Nabiki and pleaded with her. "Find Ranma! We must have the schools joined!"

"What are you talking about daddy?" Nabiki replied annoyed. Her school uniform was all wet now. She was going to be late for school if her father didn't get off her in one minute. Then she blinked as if realizing something. "Did you say that Ranma is missing?"

Genma Saotome walked in the room, his face stern. "My ungrateful son has left. When I went to wake him up for our morning fight he was gone." 

Nabiki calculated the profit she could get on selling that information and smirked. "You want me to find him?"

"We must find that boy, Nabiki! THE SCHOOLS MUST BE JOINED!" Her father said determinedly as he posed dramatically.

"I agree completely Tendo! And as soon as we find him we'll get Akane to marry him and then the schools will be joined at least!" Genma cried dramatically.

"I will NOT marry that freak!" Yelled Akane from the hall. "I'm GLAD he's gone! He probably ran away to see that Chinese bimbo, Shampoo!"

Nabiki smirked. She could tell it was going to be one of those days.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Quatre's eyes snapped open in shock. He grasped the area over his heart and gasped painfully. Someone was in deep pain! He thought with dread seeping into his very bones. 'Could it be Duo? Could Duo be feeling this deep pain?' he asked himself.

Trowa was at his side immediately. "What is it little one?" He asked quietly as he rubbed the Arabian's back soothingly. He knew something was wrong right away when Quatre's eyes seemed to be slightly glossy.

Quatre turned to look at his lover with tearful eyes. "Its Duo," he said as he sniffed trying not to cry. "He's hurt Trowa. He's hurt really bad. We have to get him today, please. We need to rescue him."

"I'll work it out with Sally, little one. Rest now."

Quatre nodded and laid back down, watching the older boy walk out the room. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. He hoped they weren't too late. His best friend was in trouble and he didn't want to see him scarred badly; that would be terrible.

He hoped that Allah was with him today. The blond prayed it wouldn't be one of those days.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sally sighed as she looked at the information on her computer. They could try a rescue mission but they only had until noon before the execution of Duo Maxwell. That didn't give them a hell of alot of time to get in there and get out. It might erupt into a big battle but they were one pilot short and she didn't know if the others were up to it.

Suddenly an instant message popped up onto her screen in the most unusual fashion. She frowned, this phone line was secure. 'How could anyone get onto my line without me noticing?' she thought.

__

(SPuu): Get Shinigami out of the base.

Sally frowned deeply again and typed a reply.

__

(SallyP): Who are you?

A message quickly wrote itself on the screen.

__

(SPuu): Get Shinigami out of the base, Sally Po. Time depends on your actions.

Sally's computer screen went black then the normal screen returned as if nothing happened. She tried to trace the message but all she got was: "Can not find Sender."

'So strange,' she thought. Could she trust this person? She had a feeling she could. She didn't know why but she did. Then Trowa walked in.

"Sally. We need to rescue Duo. Quatre said he's in hurt."

She nodded. "Well my best plan is this.."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Cologne scowled as she cooked the food for her customers. Last night she had felt a huge explosion of the ancient power and then it stopped. Sometime later she could feel it again but in a small amount, then that too dissipated. Although she hated the fact that a young _male_outsider had gained power like that, she was worried about the boy himself. For him to release that kind of explosion of power - it was unthinkable! In fact, she could almost bet a whole mountain of gold that the power released was as much - if not greater - then Saffron's full power.

'This recent development needed to be evaluated carefully,' she decided.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Kuno glared at the cellblock where the foul demon was being kept. He wanted to go in there and bring the rightful wrath of the gods on the evil demon but Trieze had told him it was not to be so. The demon will be executed later today at noon. He just had to wait until then.

"Then after this demon is destroyed, I'll go after the evil sorcerer himself! Saotome you shall feel the wrath of the gods this mighty day! They shine on my cause!" Cried the delusional kendo martial artist.

Several guards backed away from the insane boy. "Is he for real?" said one guard to another.

The other guard sweat-dropped and nodded. "Just ignore him and maybe he'll go away." The guards watched as the boy continued to rant and rave about gods and demons and how a samurai like himself was blessed. Eventually, even their prisoner got sick of it. 

A voice from in the cell kicked the door lightly and yelled. "Will someone shut him the hell up?! Can't a guy get some damn peace before he dies, man?"

"FOUL DEMON! Do not dare speak to a noble samurai such as I in such a disrespectful manner!" Kuno yelled at the prisoner.

"Come to my face and say that man! I dare you, you royal pain in the ass."

Kuno stalked over to the cell door when suddenly his bokken was taken out of his hands through the bars of a small door window and he was smacked into the wall with a large bruise on his cheek. The prisoner glanced out at the window to see the guards staring at him. He snorted and dropped the bokken and went to go sit back down.

At this point, Duo didn't really care what he did. He was looking forward to his own demise, he just didn't want to hear some babbling idiot throughout the entire time. He ran his finger tips over the dirty, bloody bandages on his arms. 

His cuts had stopped bleeding and it was itchy but he wouldn't dare uncover it. If the guards saw he cut, he knew it'd be all over Oz that one of the gundam pilots was a cutter. He didn't want the other gundam pilots to find out. Especially since they would tell the doctors and then G would know he cuts again. He snorted at his absurd thoughts. He'll be dead by then, why would he care? Then he heard the idiot kendoist start to babble about justice again and he groaned.

He could tell it was gon'na be one of those damn days.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

In a plane covered in mist, a figure stood watching the events unfolding. Her pink lips curved into a small smile as she watched Ranma and Ryoga heading closer to the base. The events were unfolding perfectly and soon her role in the whole matter would start.

That was where the fun came in. She was going to enjoy this! As soon as the entire adventure was over, the future she had planned for so for so long will finally be tying together at last. She just wished it wouldn't have taken over 1,200 years to complete. She was really impatient when she wanted to be. She just hoped that the right decisions were made correctly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

YAY! The prologue is over! Now the fun begins for me, this will be fun to write. I gave you hints for what this book may be consisting of but not too many. The real plot of the story unfolds in later chapters but you'll like it.

Sorry it took so long, I really am. I just hope everyone reviews me. ^.^ I'd love to hear any kind of comments ya know.

Some of my ideas for this book came from one of my best online friends, Sarah. I dedicate Book II to her. Thank you Sarah for all your help in each of my stories.

-AlantisB


	2. The Plans

Braids of a Feather II ****

Braids of a Feather II

By AlantisB

Disclaimer: I do not own GUNDAM or RANMA. Clear enough? ::winks::

A/N: Sorry it took so long for this to get out. I was just thinking about how I wanted the next few chapters to go. I already have several scenes planned but you know how that is, hehe. 

You know, someone a while back suggested that I get 'Braids of a Feather' turned into a fan manga. That would be very cool and if someone would e-mail me and tell me they would do that it would be great! 'Cuz as soon as I figure out how to make a web page all my fanfics are going on it! AND the fan manga of Braids of a Feather . . . if one is made. Now I know its a lot of work to make one but it would be very cool if someone did. So if anyone wants to, tell me! 

Oh yeah, enjoy the story would ya? I'd also loved to hear reviews!

"..talk.."

'..think..'

OoOoOo Scene Change

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Ranma looked around the forest they were in. They were currently eating breakfast really quick before heading towards the base again. Every few seconds he would have to grab Ryoga's shoulder (without breaking from eating) when the lost boy would get up to go somewhere and almost ending up getting lost again. 

Fortunately, Ranma would catch him in time and glare at him while the lost boy would glare back at him. That was his warning glare to Ryoga, he said that if Ryoga got lost without him, when he found him again he was going to turn him into P-chan and stuff him in pop's dirty gi. It was good to know that the lost boy had some sense to not get lost again.

He knew he was close to the base, but he didn't really understand HOW he knew. He could just . . feel . . Duo's ki. It had a dark tinge that he suspected was from his recent demon side emerging just because the way the power seemed to just stand out as a beacon among normal human ki's. He hadn't noticed it before since his own ki and Ryoga's, were tinged with the same power from being near Duo. But when it dissipated and they finally took a break in the forest (which Ryoga seemed to be convinced that it was Juuban, Tokyo), he noticed the power off to the east. He estimated it to be about a half-hour's walk from here. That meant it would take them an hour to get there with Ryoga's sense of direction. He hoped they would make it time.

He sighed and packed up his cooking stuff and put out the fire. He shouldered his backpack again and glanced at the lost boy to make sure he was still here. He was surprisingly still there with a look of determination on his face as he stared off into the east. Ranma knew Ryoga could feel it too. He nodded in the lost boy's direction as the lost boy did the same. They then headed out in the direction of the ki. Surprisingly, Ryoga didn't get off the path once.

Maybe the gods were being nice to them today, he thought with an ironic smirk.

OoOoOoOoOo

". . you and Wufei grab Duo out of the cell while Trowa and Quatre use their gundams to distract the mobile dolls and suits." Sally told Heero as the gundam pilots listened to the mission. It sounded decent to Heero's ears but there was a slight problem he knew that Quatre would bring up.

"But Sally, the base is in Tokyo; one of the most populated cities on Earth. We can't start a battle there! People could die!" The blond told her as he looked at her with worry.

Sally pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. This was the fifth plan she had told the pilots and they were all dismissing each she had thrown out. It was draining her nerves and if they didn't think of a rescue plan soon she was going to scream!

"Hn." Heero looked at Sally. "We could sneak into the base and then look for Duo, get out, and blow up the base before any mobile suits can be alerted."

"Yuy, are you forgetting that none of us are trained for infatuation. That was part of Duo's training by Dr. G." The Chinese pilot reminded the Perfect Soldier as he folded his arms and scowled.

"I know how to go in unnoticed." The usually silent boy spoke up as he gazed at them with one green eye while the other was covered by his bangs. "If you all follow my lead we should do fine."

"Good," Sally spoke up before anyone could disregard the decent plan. "Let's get started gentlemen! You have five minutes to get everything you will need in this mission. Now hurry up! There is only one hour left to get Duo." She frowned when she noted they weren't moving. "NOW!"  


The gundam boys quickly left the room while Wufei mumbled about "Stupid onna" and "Its that time of the month" while Sally rolled her eyes and flopped back into her chair with a sigh. Which god had she pissed off lately? It seemed if they were all against her for some damn reason!

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Since it was a Saturday, Nabiki spent the day at home checking out her accounts on the net. She was very pleased that she managed to 'earn' at least 50,000 yen this week through blackmail and pictures. It was a decent profit and one that would go to repairs and food for the week. 

Although 50,000 yen used to be able to stretch a lot farther then it had been in the last two years, ever since Saotome and his panda arrived they had been spending more and more yen on food! She was pissed that most of her own profit was cut from this but she knew that with Ranma here she had plenty of income.

She smirked as she logged off of the internet and got up from her chair. She walked across the room and kneeled next to some of the discolored floorboards and lifted them up with ease. She reached into the hole in the floor and took out a tin box. Here she kept all of her profits and any extra she managed to get from little odds and ends. With an almost loving caress, she lifted up the lid of the dented tin box.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" cried an anguished scream throughout the entire Tendo household. 

Kasumi looked up from her curry she was cooking for lunch with a surprised expression. She managed to some up the entire situation with two words.

  
"Oh my!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Duo stared at the corner in the dark cell with detachment. He had managed to knock out the delusional martial artist named Kuno, again, which brought him to some extent, relief. Although listening to the stupid boy was better then listening to the own workings of his mind, he thought with an odd bitterness toning his ramblings in his mind. 

He just couldn't get over it. His most prized possession had been cut off leaving him with this, this stupid excuse for a hair cut! He screamed in his mind, the bitterness it caused him was finally getting to him. He still didn't eat anything that he was given in his cell, though. His hair was the only thing he could say he really owned other then his cross - which he had in a fit of anger - thrown across the room into the dark corner he was now staring at.

His precious gold cross was sitting against the cold floor. 

He could hardly care less, actually. He hated the stupid thing now, what was it's worth for him now? Huh? Where was that god that Father Maxwell and Sister Helen preached about? Where the fuck was that son-of-a-bitch when he needed him? All that stuff his family at the church told him about a loving god that liked peace and wanted his children to be happy. Well wasn't he a child?! Where the hell was his happiness? 

He felt like crying; he felt like laughing so hard that tears would come out of his eyes and his throat grew dry and ached. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs and just kill something for the hell of it. He wanted to give in to bloodlust that his demon side taunted him with like a piece of string that this cat couldn't catch worth a damn!

Damn, there he went again.

He was acting like an insane person! 

He chuckled dryly at his own private joke. Seems that the true crazy people never realized until it was too late that they were wacky. 'Well, guess that cat's outta the bag,' he thought with his odd sense of humor.

He didn't care he had about an hour until he died. He knew where he was going, straight to hell! Although it would be very funny and highly ironic if he ended up in heaven. Who ever heard of a demon in heaven? Certainly not him, not even in the bible is there anything about that. Although there were fallen angels in hell so why not risen demons? He smirked as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

Risen demon. He snorted to himself, he wished!

Shinigami would just have to head to hell like all other bad demons.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Ranma ducked down low as he stared at the military base with a keen eye. He was trying to figure out the best way into the base without alerting the guards to their presence. Although he knew he and Ryoga could take them down in a fight, he didn't know if he was up to dodging bullets and he knew that Ryoga wouldn't be able to. Fighting was one thing, but being shot for the kill is another!

Ryoga cracked his knuckles as he gazed at the base. This would be easy in and out! A few 'Bakusai tenketsu!' and 'Shishi Hokoudan!' and it would all be done with. 

He glanced at Ranma and snorted. "Are we going in or not?"

"Don't be an idiot, Pig boy! We gotta have a plan. If we just go in their and start blowing up walls and stuff we'll end up gettin' shot and I don't about you but that bullet wound Duo had that he showed us before looked like it hurt like hell!" The pigtailed boy replied with an all-knowing tone. 

"And I ain't willin to get shot 'cause your stupid bacon butt didn't think it through, P-chan."

"Don't call me that!" Snapped the lost boy as he glared at Ranma.

Ranma rolled his eyes and looked back at the base. "We're gonna hafta sneak in through there," he pointed toward the entrance - but not so much as that a guard could see them from where they were. "We head towards the middle of the base 'cause that's where most jail cells are. Got it?"

"Fine."

"If worse comes ta worse we can start blowin up walls with Bakusai Tenketsu." 

Ranma glanced at Ryoga with a meaningful look. He knew that when he said 'worse comes ta worse' that Ryoga had caught on to what he was talking about. If they didn't get Duo out of there as quickly as possible, they might have to shoot to kill on their way just to get out safely. 

Even if it meant breaking the Martial Arts Code.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hehe, now wasn't that interesting? Hmm, I told you Duo wouldn't be the same without his braid! I mean we all know he's a few screws loose to begin with, maybe this caused him to finally snap? Well you'll just have to find out, won't ya? Hope you liked this chapter cause I worked hard on it!

Bye! And please review! I live off all of my reviews and I love them so much!

-AlantisB

PS: After I finished this chapter, I did try and draw a scene from Braids of a Feather. Its the scene where Ranma is about to be smacked into LEO by Akane in the first chapter of BOAF. It looks good! ^.^ But It took me two hours to do -.-


	3. The Note

Braids of a Feather II

By AlantisB

A/N: Hey everyone! I know, its been sooooo long since I've updated and you all probably hate me by now but let me atleast explain why this has taken so long and maybe I won't get rotten veggies thrown at me in a fit of anger! -.-;; 

I had a writer's block, it was bad, trust me! My computer, the Grin Reaper, crashed on me I didn't save my stories on a disk so I lost all notes, and unposted stories/chapters My grandpa was in trouble for a while, he has cancer and I was trying to keep my mom from breaking down during the night I was failing Geometry so I needed to consintrate on my math or else my parents would kill me ^.^; I am lazy 

That's basically why it took so long for me to get this out. If I get a lot of good reviews for this chapter, I will update it A LOT sooner then I plan to since I got so many other stories to update. Good news though, I remember most of my notes for this story and I'm getting more ideas quickly so I've ironed out the basic plot of the story more. Don't worry guys, it's all good!

Well, enjoy the LONG overdue chapter of Braids of a Feather II!

". . talking . ."

' . . loud thought, very loud . .'

OoOoOoOoOo Line breaker!

OoOoOoOoOo

The two martial artists quietly sneaked behind the unsuspecting guard. Ranma motioned Ryoga with his hands and the lost boy nodded as the pig-tailed boy moved closer to the guard that looked only a year or two older then themselves. With lightening-quick hands, he tapped the pressure point for sleep on the guard's neck and he dropped to the ground.

Ryoga kneeled down and looked through the sleeping guard's pockets before he found the I.D card. Ranma watched Ryoga for a minute and then looked down at the guard's guns. Should they take them? It went against all he stood for, to take up a weapon of killing. But if they really needed it, then it would best be prepared for this kind of thing. Sure he had sneaked into rich people's houses when he was little and still listened to Pops teachings, but he had never needed a gun before and going into a military base was quite different.

"Come on Ranma. Stop gawking and lets get going." Ryoga hissed to him quietly as he stood up and went over to the door so he could use the card.

With his mind made up, Ranma took the 9mm gun from the guard's waist holster and the rifle from around his shoulder. "Ryoga!" The lost boy turned around and by reflex only caught the rifle that was thrown to him. He looked down at the weapon before looking up at Ranma with questioning eyes.

"Just in case." The pig-tailed boy said softly as he tucked the 9mm in his gi belt like he had seen Duo have his that one time in the furno. Ryoga shouldered the rifle and made sure it wouldn't get in his way of fighting until he needed to use it.

Ryoga slid the I.D card into the slot and the door opened automatically. Ranma swallowed hard as they sneaked into the base. They were past the point of no return but he didn't want to return without Duo Maxwell. He couldn't stand it if he just left Duo like this, in this base even if he was a terrorist! He was still their friend. And he had too little friends as it is, he needed to keep the ones he had.

OoOoOoOoOo

Heero's blue eyes turned ice cold as he hacked into the base's computer system. His eyes flicked right to left as he read the reports logged on the computer. His fingers seemed to blur on the keyboard as they moved with blinding speed as he typed in passwords, codes, and other data. His frown turned into a scowl as he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He clicked on the sector for the data on prisoners and his fingers continued to type at the blinding speed they had been before.

"Duo's on the level below the base, in prison cell number 4-412A." He murmured to his companions through the head microphone he had on. "The guards are about to switch shifts, you three need to work fast if you want to get in and out without much trouble."

The microphone listening ear piece crackled to life. "Ryokai." Trowa whispered into his own mic with a distracted air about his voice. Heero could hear the faint sound of a dull thud as something hit the ground. 

"Don't worry Yuy. We'll get Maxwell back." Wufei's voice sounded confident in their abilities. "That braided baka will be chattering our ears off in no time."

"Hn. Don't fail." The prussian eyed boy replied before the connection cut and static remained. Heero got up and took the quickest way to where the base plans said Duo's cell would be.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Nabiki stared down at her tin box in shock. All the money she collected over the two years of the Saotome's stay, it was all gone. The profits she was planning to use to buy herself a nice American car, it was gone! She blinked her eyes, and noticed a small white sheet of paper was folded up inside in replacement of her hard earned yen. The middle daughter reached into her collecting tin and picked up the piece of folded paper carefully. Slowly, she unfolded the paper while wondering who had taken her money. Better yet, who knew she hid it there?  


She read the paper and her eyes progressively grew wider and then narrow in her anger. She fumed at the note and reread it again to make sure she had understood the handwriting.

__

"Tendo,

I've taken the liberty of talking to my mother last night while you were sleeping. You are, as of now, sued for blackmail, pornography, and plagiarism. Handing my best friend over to OZ was the last straw; you went too far in this. You've won the petty battles, but I've won the war Tendo. To the victor go the spoils, ne?

-Ranma

PS: You better get a good lawyer Biki-chan_, you're gonna need it."_

The middle daughter of the Tendos growled low in her throat. How dare that stupid jock! Who did he think he was, suing her for what she used to pay to keep the dojo out of the black. He was going to get this, oh, he was going to regret ever crossing her! No one does this to her, NO ONE! In a fit of anger, she ripped up the note into little bits and threw them into her garbage pal.

'RANMA! PREPARE TO BE POLVERIZED!' Nabiki swore in her mind, plans already forming in the depths of her consciousness.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Duo's eyes were closed in concentration as he dived deep into the depths of his own soul. He was sitting in the dark corner of the cell, his last meal and drink consisting of moldy bread and stale water was lying by the door untouched. His bandages were itchy and dirty from the dirt and grim in the cell but he paid it no mind. After all, he was dying in another fifteen minutes anyway, right? What would he care about hygiene when he'd be six feet under in a few minutes?

His eyes flittered behind the lids like people do when they're in REM sleep. His legs were folded beneath him while his hands lie palm up on his knees, the air above it ripping with his power even in the visible spectrum without his help. His lips were chapped, he hadn't had water in three days while his stomach growled for attention but getting none paid to it whatsoever.

He was tired, fatigue leaked off of his figure but he wouldn't let himself fall asleep. No when he went to rest, it would be for good. He didn't want to sleep through his trip to hell 'cause it might be interesting. His cross was lying next to him on the ground but he didn't reach to pick it up. He didn't need it where he was going, that he was sure of.

His power was stronger, he noticed as he searched his soul. It was almost double as it was before but it was blocked from access, he guessed that his body can't take another release like he had done before and it was taking up arms against himself. It was funny in a way, your body was fighting you and protecting itself from you. The amusement in his thoughts didn't reach his face, it stayed in the stony expression it had been in since he had been told his death was in an hour.

He wondered if he could bring out his wings, it would've been nice to be able to fly on them one time before he died. But he wasn't sure if the gundam pilots would appreciate his bat-like wings when they found his decapitated body. He couldn't do that to Quatre, the guy was too sweet to see a demon like him in true form. It would destroy him and he couldn't handle it if another died by his hands. 

He thoughts did a 180 as he thought about his best friends. What were Ranma and Ryoga doing right now, he wondered. Did they find out he was a terrorist? Were they cursing themselves forever meeting him? It would be interesting if he could ask them at least one question but he couldn't do that for obvious reasons.

Did they know he was going here? Were they going to turn him in all this time? No, he decided firmly. They didn't know. Ranma wasn't a good actor if he practiced at it so for him to actually fake that genuine look of surprised shock, it would be very impossible. Maybe Ukyo did him in? Nah, she was a sweet girl. But she was a little obsessed with Ranma so it could be possible. 

He licked his lips as he thought of Ranma. Gods, he wanted to tell him how much he loved him. It was too late for it now, he should have told him at the dojo but he couldn't, he was too scared. Now it was too late, he sighed. Just one kiss, he whined in his mind. Just one and he would die happy! Well not really, he couldn't be happy anymore since the only thing he had owned since he was little was gone! His precious braid was chopped off by that sadistic bitch named Lady Une.

He smiled wickedly and in the light of the cell, it looked positively evil. He got her back for it, he thought with a manic edge to it. Oh he got her back, he did. Melted her skin on one side of her whole body like a can of mustard gas! He didn't care that the OZ general raped him after that when he found out, it had been so worth it.

He felt a little better now, after venting his thoughts. His ears perked as he heard the surprised sounds of some guards and then the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh and a dull thud.

"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!" A familiar voice yelled as the door exploded inward.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Psst! P-chan you baka! This way," the pigtailed martial artist hissed to the lost boy grabbing him before he took a wrong turn down a hallway that was filled with guards. He shook his head in disgust as Ryoga gave him a slightly sheepish look. Then he smirked when he saw realization on the lost boy's face as he realized what he was called.

"Don't call me P-chan, fem-boy!" Ryoga smirked as Ranma's right eye noticably twitched. He loved it when he actually got him riled up, it was so much fun. He could see how Ranma enjoyed teasing other people while fighting. It was amusing to watch their reactions!

"You've been hanging out with Taro again," the pigtailed boy accused the depressed martial artist. He watched as Ryoga shook his head in innocent denial. He rolled his eyes. He motioned the lost boy down the corridor to the left.

They ran quietly down the hall making any guards happen to catch them in the corner of their eyes think they only saw a blurred figure and them shrug it off as nothing, maybe a figure of their imagination.

Both boys stopped in front of a door where they felt Duo's ki inside. Ranma nodded to Ryoga, giving him the signal. The lost boy gave a fanged grin, and tensed his muscles. He lashed out with a finger and touched the door. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!!" He cried as the door exploded inwards.

Just as they were about to go in and get Duo, Ranma and Ryoga both froze in place as a cold voice sounded behind them. "Omae o korosu." 

The sound of Heero's safety on his gun releasing caused Ranma to flex his hands in anticipation while a single thought ran through both of the martial artists minds. 

'Fuck! We're screwed.'

OoOoOoOoOoOo

There it is! The end of Chapter three of Braids of a Feather II! I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the reviews! ^.^

-AlantisB


	4. The Rescue

****

Braids of a Feather II

By AlantisB

A/N: Hey everyone! Yes, you see it correctly, this is the next chapter of BOAFII! I got it out in less then three weeks, good for me ne? Well I have to admit this part was hard to write because I wasn't sure if I could get the meeting right between Heero, Ranma, and Ryouga. Just how do you introduce two aquatransexual martial artists to the leader of a bunch of terrorists? Yeah, it was that hard.

I love all of your comments guys, they help me so much in deciding if I really should continue this series. I am flattered that so many review this story and I'm glad you all like it so much. I just want you all to know that I am grateful that you all have put up with my laziness. I hope you all stick out to see this story's end ^.^

Oh, did anyone see Queen of the Damned? I saw that movie, it was okay ^.^ If you're looking for a good movie, go see it. If you are hoping to see a film just like the books, forget it. They changed so many things from the books that it doesn't even seem like Anne Rice's books at all! Of course, she didn't write the screen play this time and you could see it in the movie that they removed ALL hints of yaoi in it. Which sucks! AND Louis isn't in the movie at all! How rude! The guy that played Lestat did okay I guess, but Tom Cruise surprisingly did much better in Interview With the Vampire. Yeah, I finally saw that movie too. ^.^ Tom is now my hero, he got Lestat perfect! I love his comment at the end of the movie.

"Louie, Louie, Louie. Always _whining_ Louie. Are you listening to this? I had to listen to that for _centuries_!"- Tom Cruise, AKA Lestat de Loincourt

What is everyone's fav vampire in the Vampire Chronicles? Tell me in your reviews, please? My favs are Lestat and Armand ^.^ My favorite couple would have to be Lestat and Louis. I don't know why but I like them. They remind me of Heero/Duo. ^.~ Ooh, that sounds good. Maybe it will turn into a story some day?

::grins::

OoOoOoOoOoOo Scene Change

"Talking"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Heero ran quickly down the hall, his yellow sneakers making not one sound on the white tile. His eyes glinted dangerously as he thought about the details of Duo's capture. An informant from the Tendo Dojo had called in saying she had spotted a gundam pilot. Further details were lost in the stream of military babble of plots of his eventual capture. What really pissed him off was the thoroughly detailed report of Duo's torture for information. You would think that for a guy that talks a lot he had a big mouth, but Duo hadn't said anything of their whereabouts.

He turned the corner and his eyes narrowed as he spotted a boy in a yellow shirt and a boy in a red shirt in front of the cell door that was Duo's. He absently wondered how civilians would get into a highly guarded military base and get spotted. The sight of the unconscious guards lying on the ground clued in the perfect soldier that they were not as they seemed.

His assumption was proved further as he saw the red shirt boy nod to the yellow shirt boy. The yellow shirt boy flexed his arm and lashed out with a blurred hand. With his training from Doctor J, he was able to see that the boy only had touched the thick steel door with one finger, yelling out something and it exploded inward.

Without a thought, Heero sprang into action and took out his gun and trained it on the boys. "Omae o korosu." He said in monotone. He watched as they froze in surprise and his eyes narrowed as he watched the red-shirt boy flex the fingers on his hands. Heero clicked off the safety switch and his mouth twitched upwards slightly when he saw their body language clearly displaying their thoughts. Amusing as it was, now was not the time to be staying around and doing nothing. As soon as that thought ran across his mind, alarms blared around the base, red lights flashing warnings all over.

"Oi! Will SOMEONE shut that fucking thing off! I'd like to be able to contemplate the meaning of life in SILENCE, ya know?" A bitter voice rang out from the cell. "Who's there anyway? Heero? Is that you man?"

"Duo, you don't know the meaning of silence." Ryouga grinned slightly.

Ranma turned around to stare at the boy that had trained a gun on him. So this was Heero? The super freaky guy that jumped 40 story buildings in a single bound? He didn't look like much but he had a dangerous air about him.

"Ryouga? Ranma? What the fuck are you doing here?" Duo said in anger. The three boys watched as a figure moved in the shadows. "And you're carrying GUNS? You're gonna kill yourselves. Go back to the dojo man." He sounded shocked. Well Ranma couldn't blame him. He didn't think he'd ever be attacking a military base but hey, there was a first time for anything.

"You know them?" Heero questioned the figure in the shadows.

"Yeah, don't shoot 'em man. They're just marital artists, not soldiers." Duo's voice sounded wry, and all three of them could detect the depressed tone underlining the words. 

Ranma moved in the cell. "Come on Duo, we gotta go. Alarms are soundin' off and I can feel at least twenty people movin towards he-HOLY SHIT!" 

Ryouga looked at the pig-tailed martial artist's direction in surprise. Well that was a first, he noted. Ranma actually cursed! But what caused him to curse like that? "Ranma . . ?"

At that moment, Duo moved into the artificial light. Ryouga and even Heero's mouth dropped when they saw him. Ryouga licked his lips nervously. "Duo . . . your hair--!" He said in shock. His hair was a mess! The ends were cut raggedly, all uneven around his face. The trademark braid was gone, and all that was left of his beautiful hair was just those ragged ends.

"Yeah, I know. Lady Une," he sneered. "Decided I needed a new look since I didn't give her the information she wanted" Duo's eyes took an almost insane glint in the artificial light. It caused Heero to step back unconsciously. "But I got her back."

The perfect soldier shook off the feeling that he should run away as fast as he could from this insane man but decided against it. Duo was harmless! He would never hurt any of his friends. But, his mind reasoned, there were those times when it seemed like he wasn't all there . .

He pushed those thoughts aside and thought of the matter at hand. There were two martial artists untrained in the use of guns, one gundam pilot that looked to have seen better days, and only one trained terrorist at the moment. How would they ever get of the base? He wasn't even sure if he could count on Duo's perfect aim since he looked a bit unstable right now. So how--?

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Everyone ducked and dodged as shots rang out causing them to scatter. Heero took out his gun and fired back while ducking for cover in the doorway of Duo's prison cell. Ranma and Ryouga – to pilot 01's immense surprise – seemed to bounce around the hallway at an almost impossible speed. Within the blink of an eye, Ranma spring boarded off one of the guard's heads while tapping at the soldier's neck causing him to fall. His form blurred in the air as he targeted another soldier to use shiatsu points. Ryouga seemed to prefer the straight method approach as he just punched each soldier in a vulnerable spot, causing them to either drop the ground in agony or be rendered unconscious.

More soldiers poured into the area and soon the martial artists and the two terrorists realized that they were trapped. With soldiers blocking their ways on both sides, they had no way out. Ranma watched as Heero shot at the soldiers, trying to keep them at bay. His back stiffened as he remembered both he and the Lost boy had guns, they could help Heero! But should they? He glanced around at the surroundings. They could try some ki blasts but it could cause the base ceiling to collapse on them or it could trap them further. 

Was the code more important than Duo's life? He shook his head mentally with a firm no. Nothing was more important than the lives of his friends. He was Ranma Saotome and he never lost where it counted! Now was not the time to start loosing!

"Ryouga," he hissed.

Ryouga glanced at him over his shoulder with an annoyed expression. "What?"

Ranma gave him a simple nod, his eyes filled with his firm decision. His posture was stiff but Ryouga could see the pigtailed martial artist reach for his gun. The time had come, the Lost boy realized. With a smooth shrug he slipped the rifle off his shoulder and kept it hidden.

Heero's gun clicked as the last of the bullets were shot.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Nabiki stared at her empty tin box. She hadn't moved since this morning and wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. The middle Tendo just couldn't believe it, how could this be true? Never would she have thought that Saotome had any brains since he always played the dumb jock, but maybe she should have become suspicious of that. Whenever Akane was in trouble and needed to be rescued, somehow Ranma came up with the perfect plan. According to her views of him, that should have been impossible! There should be no way that he could think up of such plans. Yet he somehow did it.

She was lucky that Saotome was computer illiterate; she could still sell some photos she had on her laptop and all that blackmail information that he had to pay her to keep quiet about –well- the cat's outta the bag! Nabiki planned to start releasing the information as soon as she gathered herself to go to school. Her lips twisted into a mercenary smirk as she thought of all the ways she would make Ranma pay for this. Oh, HE WILL PAY! That was for certain! He was no longer getting any breaks because this was the last straw. No more Mr. Nice Girl.

In her mind, she tallied up the points for scores in this little came she played with Saotome.

Ranma: 2

Nabiki: 1,212

Her smirk formed into a wicked grin. He has no chance! All the odds are against him.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Trowa slipped passed another guard as he made his way towards the control room. Heero had said that since they were rescuing Duo anyway, they might as well raid the base for information. Not that they all really cared about the information but it might make the doctors happy and keep them off their backs for rescuing a pilot. It also could give them hints of what OZ had planned for the new war. 

He reached up and wiped away the sweat from his forehead before it could get into his eyes. He sighed inaudibly. Why would OZ start up a new war like this when the old one just ended? Couldn't the citizens have any peace at all? No, stupid question. He thought. OZ didn't care about the populous, they cared about getting what they wanted; military law over the colonies and Earth. The banged pilot doubted that they could enact military law from such distances but he didn't question insane people. It wasn't the right thing to do, unless you wanted to upset the said insane persons.

How could Trieze start up a new war like this? He was so wrong to go about showing how this war would stop humans from doing war in the future. Didn't he realize that wars have always been apart of the human nature? 

Trowa worked with lions; he knew how the food chain worked. Since no animals could possibly hurt humans anymore with all the technology we possess, doesn't it make sense that war is the predator of humans? Every time in at least one century, there is a war. The wars usually knock off a couple million people and then slowly the war dies down. The population is low but as the years continue after the war, it builds up again. Just like animal prey, humanity bounce back from attack but when the predator comes back, the population dies down again.

War will always be apart of human nature! But that didn't mean Trowa liked it very much; he was sick of war. He grew up in one and he wished it would end soon. He wanted to get away from mobile suits, the sounds of blasts echoing in his mind, and most of all: The Doctors!  


If only, he thought with an almost smile.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Well everyone that is the latest chapter of BOAFII Ch4! I know many of you have waited long for this and I'm glad I got it out to you all. Think of this as an Easter present! ^.^ Oh! I was wondering if anyone has been watching Adult Swim on Cartoon Network? God, I love YYH! ^.~ I think its one of my fav animes now. Okay, I'll stop babbling. 

Remember to review me! Okay?

-AlantisB


	5. The Kiss

**Braids of a Feather II**

By AlantisB

**Braids of a Feather II**

_By AlantisB_

A/N: Wow, has it been a LONG time since I updated this story. Now don't think I forgot about all you fans, I haven't. Things have just gotten in the way for me to write this story and I kind of needed a brake from it so that I could soak up more ideas. I decided that this story wouldn't be as long as I thought it would be, only because I don't want to leave you all hanging if my ideas run out again or I grow tired of it.

Now I'm going to make these chapters as long as possible so that you all would have more to think on as I write the next chapter. Please be kind even if I haven't updated in a while and review for me. I promise this time I will not leave this fic alone for months on end. You all have my word.

I want all of you to enjoy this chapter because I worked hard on it. This is dedicated to one of my fans that e-mailed me just last week begging for a chapter. This person made me snap out of my flunk and write for this story again. Thank you for doing that, you know who you are.

Enjoy the chapter and have fun reading! ^.^

OoOoOoOoOo

Duo was exhausted although he wouldn't let Ranma, Ryouga, and especially Heero know about it. He could hardly stay standing and he knew that he had to get them all out of the base. If he didn't get them all out of the base then they would all die. The world would loose its only defense between free government and OZ. He had to do something!

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Ranma and Ryouga picking up the guns they had as soon as Heero's bullets ran out. No! He couldn't let his friends kill, they were innocents, the citizens he strived to protect from the damages of war. If he let them kill then they would be just like him, they would have blood on their hands. They would be haunted for the rest of their lives for saving him and he didn't want to burden them like that, he couldn't do that. If he let them kill then he would destroy a part of them they could never have back. Duo couldn't let that happen so he did the only thing he could.

His eyes glowed as his power expanded taking in Heero and the two martial artists. OZ kept shooting at them but a large dome now stood blocking all the bullets from touching them. Heero was so startled that he dropped his gun and turned to look at Duo. Ranma and Ryouga gave each other knowing looks as they already knew about his demon heritage. 

As he was quickly weakening, Duo forced all his power into teleporting outside the base and in the blink of an eye, the four disappeared in front of the frightened and shocked soldiers of OZ.

OoOoOoOoOo

The strange group appeared in the same woods that Ryoga and Ranma had started their plan to get into the base. Duo rocked unsteadily on his feet. He looked around and noticed they were outside the base, they were safe for the moment. But as soon as the soldiers realized what happened, they would start to search for them. He couldn't let that happen! A weak flicker of power lit his eyes as he hummed with power as he collected most of his energy into a ball in his hand. When he felt it was large enough, he teleported it into the base with the last of his remaining energy and self-detonated it. The base in front of them exploded in a small dome of power, right where the military controls were. Wufei and Trowa were in their gundams and were destroying the rest of the military base.

"Ha. Got you, you bastards." Duo chuckled weakly before he collapsed. Ranma caught him before he hit the ground.

Heero stared at Duo with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "What just happened?"

Shifting Duo into a more comfortable position in his arms, a extremely worried look appeared on Ranma's features. "No time to explain right now, we have to get him to the old ghoul. He's expended too much of his energy and he's dying!"

With that said, Ryoga handed Heero the end of a rope. "What's this for?" Heero questioned with his normal monotone.

Ryoga scowled as he tied the rope to his waist. Ranma snickered in the back round before the lost boy shot him a dark look. Ranma made a semi-effort to stop the laughing but couldn't fully. "I get lost easily." Ryoga said stiffly. "I want to be there with Duo and not in China."

OoOoOoOoOo

"OLD GHOUL!" Ranma shouted as he ran into the restaurant with Duo in his arms.

"Aiya! Ranma come take Shampoo on date, yes?" Shampoo said as she glomped Ranma.

Or she would have if Ranma hadn't jumped onto her back unnoticing as he ran to the back kitchen where Cologne was. "I need your help you old mummy!"

Cologne hopped out of the kitchen on her staff and took one look at the boy in Ranma's arms and her eyebrows rose in surprise. "I see." She said quiet. "Follow me, boy." She hopped to the back room and motioned Ranma over to one wall. "Put him down here, and go wait in the corner. I'll need your assistance in a moment."

As Ranma did as told, Cologne went to an old trunk and started digging around and pulled out two vials. "Yes," she muttered. "This would do, I suppose."

She hopped over to Duo and started to press a couple pressure points and uncorked one of the vials. Tilting the formally braided boy's head back, she poured the eerily glowing blue liquid into his mouth and forced him to swallow it.

Going over to Ranma she handed him the other vial. "Drink this and go over to him."

Ranma glanced at the bottle, uncertain. Cologne never did anything without a price, be it he had to marry her great-granddaughter or owe the mummy a favor. But this was Duo, his best friend. He had to save him no matter what the cost to him. He couldn't bare it if Duo died, he would feel as if he was missing a vital part of himself. Praying to the Kami that this would help his best friend, he uncorked the bottom and gulped down the drink and licked his lips. The liquid tasted strangely sweet and tangy, it made him crave for more.

"Son-in-law! Pay attention!" Cologne bopped him on the head with her staff and walked over to where Duo laid. "Now you must give Duo part of your life force in order for him to survive."

Ranma walked over and kneeled down next to Duo. "And how do I do that?"

"Why anyway other way you do to save a person from death, you breathe the life force into them." Cologne gave a cheeky grin. It was quite scary on an old lady. "In other word: you have to kiss him."

Ranma's eyes widened in shock as he stuttered, "I-I-I-I have to kiss him?"

Cologne nodded and walked away from the two. "I will go distract my great-granddaughter from this room, Son-in-law. But you must hurry or else your friend there will not live. I do this as no favor to you, but to a great demon that will tell me the secrets to his power. Remember that, Son-in-law." Then, she left the two alone.

OoOoOoOoOo

Nabiki scowled in her room as she glared at her empty deposit box. It had all her spending money in it and Ranma took it all! How could he do that to her? This was an inexcusable offence and she would never forgive him for that. As soon as she saw him again he was going to be in big trouble. 

She was just glad that annoying friend of his was a gundam pilot. She had great satisfaction on seeing the look on Ranma's face as his friend was dragged away by the military and was going to be executed for killing people.

There was no way she was going to let a dumb jock like Ranma get away with stealing her money. She was going to make him pay and make the price so high he would never be able to pay in full. She was going to make his life a living hell and there was nothing he could do to stop her. 

She would make damn well sure he wouldn't be able to.

OoOoOoOoOo

Ukyo stared at the news as she watched the replay of the military dragging Duo by the arms into a police van and driving off with him. She couldn't believe it that such a nice guy was a gundam pilot.

She always heard that gundam pilots were ruthless and cruel and would do anything to cause war so they could fight. They were the ban of the colonies existence and deserved to die, or so she had heard. She never saw a picture of one but here on the news she watched as Ranma's best friend get dragged away by OZ to be killed for treason.

Duo didn't seem like the kind of guy to be these evil gundam pilots. She didn't think Duo was evil at all or that cruel. He was like any other teenager with a bit more on his shoulders and in his eyes.

Duo wasn't an evil person. She could see that. But if he killed, then doesn't that make him a bad person? Ranma-honey killed once, she remembered. Saffron had made him kill, but no one except for a few selected people knew that fact.

Ranma wasn't evil. He killed to save another person when there was no other choice. Does that mean Duo killed to save the people when he had no other choice?

Ukyo just didn't know anymore.

OoOoOoOoOo

"WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?!" Ryoga screamed in frustration. He shot Heero a dark look while the zero-one pilot shot him a slightly embarrassed look.

"I have no idea where this 'Old Ghoul' lives. I thought you knew." He replied, not showing any of his embarrassment in his voice. He didn't really believe that this martial artist that could dodge bullets and knock out soldiers with one crack at the jaw making the said soldier land twenty feet away could get lost so easily. It went against all logical reasoning.

The last thing he remembered was that they were right behind Ranma (who was roof hopping giving Heero quite a challenge to jump twelve feet high while Ryoga did it easily). Then the pigtailed boy disappeared around the corner of a building and then suddenly when they turned, they ended up in this place.

It looked like the inside of a mansion. Marble stair cases graced his right while at the left there was a large dining hall with a crystal chandelier hanging above their heads. The place reeked of money and rich aristocrats. 

Personally, he hated the décor. The colors were all wrong. It was all girlish colors of pink, red, and white. It made him have flashbacks of that one Valentine's Day when Relena had found their safe house coordinates and sent him a bunch of pink and white flowers with a note saying "Be my Valentine".

He gave an unnoticeable shutter at the reminder of Relena. He really needed to kill her sometime, maybe the next time he saw her.

"I told you about my directional sense, you stupid jerk. If you hadn't tried to rescue Duo I would have blasted you by now." Ryoga snorted and started to walk into another room. "Come on I think I found a way out."

"Hn."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Miss Relena?" Relena turned to look at her butler. He had an exasperated expression on his face.

"Yes?"

"That boy was here again. I really think there's something wrong with our security." The butler muttered as he glanced nervously in the Great Hall where the Lost boy and a boy that looked suspiciously like the zero-one pilot walked into another hall and disappeared."

Relena sighed and rubbed her temples. She was beginning to think that she needed to start taking her pills again and maybe her butler should take them also. People do not just appear and disappear in a house that as more security than the Senate guarding it. It just wasn't possible!

OoOoOoOoOo

Suddenly Heero found himself in knee-deep snow. He scowled. It was cold, chilling snow. He was beginning to think that he shouldn't have taking the rope.

"I didn't think Tokyo has snow around this time of year. How weird," Ryoga muttered to himself as he started walking in the trenches.

Heero's hand itched for his gun. It was in the waist-band of his spandex shorts. It was only a few inches away. Right now, he wanted to practice target shooting on a live subject. Heero gritted his teeth. He was really regretting taking that rope. "It doesn't, it's summer." He muttered while Ryoga ignored him. 

"Excuse me, can you point me to the direction of the Nekohaten?" Ryoga showed a Tokyo map to a man dressed as an Eskimo.

Heero glanced at the rope he had wrapped around his hand and wondered if Duo would forgive him if he shot his friend and just dragged him to Tokyo. Heero knew he would feel better at least.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Wufei? Trowa? Where are Heero and Duo?" Quatre asked with a worried face into the comm. As the lead strategist in the rescue operation, he was severely worried that their mission had failed and that the exploding base had both his friends trapped inside with troops of OZ unit soldiers. 

"They're fine right now, I think" Wufei glanced at the base on his left screen. "I don't think they were in there when it exploded. You would have felt it, wouldn't you?"

Quatre nodded, now assured his friends were safe at the moment. "Yes, I would have felt them die. Thank you, Wufei. I'm just so worried about Duo, who knows how bad he had gotten in the last few days?"

"Duo is a survivor." Trowa said quietly. "Considering he is a gundam pilot, we know his life wasn't easy as he makes us believe. If anyone can pull through being tortured by OZ and still crack jokes, its Duo."

Wufei shut off his screen and stared at the ruined base with a scowl. The others didn't know about Duo, but he did. If anything, the torture wouldn't break Duo, it was the loss of friends that would. Duo had been taking from his best friends by one of his best friend fiancee's sister. Having your best friends find out you're a terrorist and getting arrested right in front of them would make even the strongest of friendships crumble if it wasn't as strong as the zero-two pilot thought. 

Wufei wouldn't admit it out loud, but he prayed to Meiran that these friends of Duo were as good of friends as Duo perceives them to be. If not, the cheerful fun-living Duo they all knew would be gone and Wufei would no longer have any light in his life.

OoOoOoOoOo

Kuno scowled as he stared at the ruined base from his transport car. He had escaped with Master Trieze when the gundam pilots had come to rescue one of their own. He was not one to run from a fight, especially from a demon. But Master Trieze had stated that dying now wouldn't have stopped the demons from taking control. So he must live in order to fight them another day.

He didn't like it, but he didn't want those foul demons ruling the world along side with that evil sorcerer Saotome. That would be very bad for his Pigtailed-Goddess and the fierce tigress Akane.

OoOoOoOoOo

Ranma sat on his heels as he stared at the faint golden glow that started haloing around his best friend. He didn't know what to do with himself. On one hand, he had to kiss Duo to save his life so that he could live another day even though he was a gundam pilot. On the other hand, Duo was a guy and he only kissed a guy once but that wasn't his fault and he hated it. It had felt weird and made him extremely uncomfortable.

He knew that Duo was one of his very few friends he had in his short life and if he died than he wouldn't be able to continue on with the insanity called his life. Duo always made it seem so bright and optimistic no matter how depressed or distraught he had gotten over some event.

Duo was not a naturally happy person, Ranma knew this. That day when he saw Duo with his wrists slit crying in the rain because of thoughtless words made him feel just awful. The gundam pilot put up a cheerful mask, one of a friendly teenager with no depressing thoughts at all. Underneath that mask lie an insecure boy fighting an adult war to save other orphans from ending up like him.

No matter how little Duo had been in his life thus far, all those moments were memorable. If he disappeared from his life, he couldn't have any more of those shocking moments or interesting letters. He wouldn't be able to see the flicker of happiness lighting his friend's eyes as they practiced his art or when Duo was teaching him a few master thief tricks. 

He would never hear Duo's dry sense of humor when he wasn't wearing the mask, or the sarcastic comments that he randomly sprouts in one of his moods. No more teasing Ryoga or joking around like he couldn't do with the friends he had at school. Ranma wouldn't be himself with out Duo around, he would be the jock. The person everyone molded him to be, except Duo. Duo had excepted who he was, with all his faults, and could care less about his lack of tact or foot-in-mouth moments.

Unaware, a tear streaked down the martial artist's face as he stared at his best friend. The dirt smudged on his face, the smell of musky prison cell odor, the ragged clothes, and even his lack of a braid didn't bother him as it would others. All he wanted was to see his friend open his eyes and smile at him.

Ranma sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was nervous, he never had kissed a guy willingly but this wasn't a stranger. This was Duo. This was his best friend other than Ryoga. He wanted his friend to live and if he had to kiss him on the lips to do it, than he would.

Slowly the pigtailed boy leaned down, his eyes gazing at Duo's face and the paleness in color. His eyes drifted down to his friend's lips as he leaned over his friend's chest brushing the black Chinese shirt with his own as he swallowed nervously, his heart in his throat. His breath brushed over the pale lips as he moved closer, his hands on either side of Duo's head as he automatically flicked his eyes around the area making sure one uncute tomboy wouldn't spot him.

Ranma closed the distance as his lips brushed Duo's once, quickly. The softness of Duo's lips startled him. He never expected them to feel like warm fleshy silk. He licked his lips, tasting the same sweet taste from the vial and he wanted more. Closing his eyes he brushed his friend's lips once then kissed him more firmly. He sighed softly as he kissed the gundam pilot, becoming bolder as the nervousness faded and tugged gently at the bottom lip with his teeth.

Arms ran up over his back and pulled him closer as the lips under his responded to the kiss. Duo moaned against his lips and kissed him back fiercer than Ranma had been kissing him. 

The kiss felt like nothing Ranma had ever experienced before in the area. It was passionate and full of feeling, making him experience sensations his body never knew before. Shifting his body, he laid almost fully on top of his friend as the kiss grew more heated and he groaned into Duo's lips as his friend moved his hips, brushing his groin against Ranma's own.

Duo swallowed the groan and licked at Ranma's lips, silently asking for permission. Not even doubting his thoughts, Ranma permitted him entrance as his tongue met the other's half way. Tongues battled for dominance as the two rubbed the length of their bodies together as they became more aroused to the sensations as the kiss raged on.

Ranma gasped when their bodies rocked against each other and suddenly he was aware of just what exactly he was doing and to whom he was doing it with. His eyes snapped open as he pulled away from the kiss as he quickly back pedaled away from Duo as his friend slowly opened his eyes, his breathing also erratic as he stared at Ranma in the corner. 

The two boys stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking a word. Then Duo closed his eyes and stretched along the floor not bothering to hide his own tented pants and his mouth curved into a satisfactory grin. 

"Now that's one hell of a way to wake up!" Duo gasped out as he licked his lips savoring his friend's taste.

OoOoOoOoOo

That's the end of this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I loved writing that last chapter. As you can see, I've gotten better at writing more intimate scenes so this kiss was not as hard as I thought it would be to write. You are all lucky I was in the mood to write one or else it wouldn't have been half-as-good. 

Well I expect to see a lot of response for this chapter! If I could I would review my own story just because I like that scene so much. If I get a good response, I'll write more of these little moments for you all to see. 

Oh, and I've also decided on a pairing for poor Ryoga since he hasn't gotten anything in this fic so far. I first thought about a threesome but realized that Ranma and Duo took over the fic leaving him in the dust. Therefore Ryoga will be slashed with someone else that I think would fit him perfectly. 

Now I wrote all these pages for you people, four more than I normally would write so be happy! ^.^ I know I am! I never write so much for one chapter unless it's a one-shot I'm splitting into two parts. Anyway, remember to review people!

-AlantisB

PS: Now that I have a scanner, would anyone be interested in a fanart picture of that last scene? I can attempt to draw it just as I imagine it for you people if I get enough encouragement to draw it.


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